Rod-shaped bacteria preserve their aspect ratios and surface-to-volume scaling by maintaining a homeostatic balance between the rates of cell elongation and division protein synthesis.

The expansion of our understanding about the regulation of iron metabolism, erythropoiesis, and the crosstalk between them has enabled delineating the pathophysiology of multiple diseases and provided rationale for novel therapeutic interventions.

Distinct members of the Caenorhabditis elegans microbiota can have widely divergent effects on Orsay virus transmission, such that associated bacteria can effectively determine host susceptibility versus resistance to viral infection.

A newly described isolate of the behavior-manipulating fly pathogen Entomophthora muscae that naturally infects fruit flies can be cultured in the lab, enabling molecular investigation of how microbes induce behavior changes in animal hosts.

An innate immune system signaling pathway in planarians has a dual role: it enhances apoptosis during bacterial infection, but represses apoptosis during tissue regeneration in the absence of infection.

Genetic and molecular analyses identify and characterize an evolutionary battle over lysis timing wherein a bacteriophage delays lysis through lysis inhibition while a defensive phage satellite accelerates lysis.

The aldehyde 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal is a novel component of the host antimicrobial reactive oxygen burst, and the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes encodes genes specifically for its detoxification.